delta8(14)-pregnenes and process



United States Patent A -PREGNENES AND PROCESS Josef Fried, New Brunswick, N. J.

Application September 4, 1956, Serial No. 607,585

8 Claims. (Cl. 260397.45)

No Drawing.

This invention relates to the synthesis of steroids and has for its objects the provision of: (I) an advantageous process of preparing steroids of the general formula CHQOR wherein R is hydrogen or acyl (particularly the acyl radical of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid having less than ten carbon atoms as exemplified by the lower fatty acids, benzoic acid, etc.); (II) these new steroids, which are useful in themselves as physiologically, active steroids; and (111) new steroids of the general'formula CHaOR wherein R is as above-defined, and R is a hydrocarbon radical of less than eight carbon atoms (e. g., lower alkyl,

such as methyl, and monocyclic aryl, such as telyl).

The process of this invention essentially comprises interacting a 21-ester of A -pregnadiene-11B,17u,21-

triol-3,20-dione with a sulfonyl halide of the formula RSO X, wherein X is halogen, in an organic base (e. g., pyridine) in the cold (i. e., a temperature below room temperature and optimally at about 0 C.) to yield the corresponding llfl-sulfonyloxy derivative, and then heat-" ing this 11 B-sulfonyloxy derivative with a base, such as an aromatic tertiary nitrogenous base (e. g., pyridine or collidine) or an alkali metal salt of a lower fatty acid (e. g., sodium acetate in acetic acid) to obtain the desired A -pregnatriene-17a,21-diol-3,20-dione 21-ester,,

Patented Dec. 3, 1957 The following examples are illustrative of the inventron (all temperatures being in centigrade):

EXAMPLE 1 A (14) pregnadiene-l 1 18,] 711,21 -tri0l-3,20-dione 1 1 p-mesylate 21 -acetate A solution of 51 mg. of A -pregnadiene-1 1B,17oc,2ltriol-3,20-dione 21-acetate (prepared as disclosed in U. S. applications of Josef Fried, Serial No. 417,489, filed March 10, 1954, and SerialNo. 607,586, filed on even date herewith) in 3 ml. of pyridine and 0.02 ml. of methanesulfonyl chloride is allowed to stand at 0 for 18 hours. The mixture is then diluted with water and extracted with chloroform. The chloroform extract is washed with water, dilute acid and again with water, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness in vacuo. Recrystallization of the resulting residue from alco hol gives the pure mesylate of the following properties: M. P. about 151152 (dec.); [111 +268 (c., 0.54 in CHClg), +245 (c., 0.35 in95% alcohol);

A113,, 237 m (17,800) A221? 3.06, 5.72, 5.81, 6.11

Analysis.Calcd. for C H O S (480.50): C, 59.98; H, 6.71; S, 6.67. Found: C, 60.01; H, 6.73; S, 6.38.

In a similar manner, by substituting an equivalent amount of ethanesulfonyl chloride or propanesulfonyl chloride for the methanesulfonyl chloride in the procedure of Example 1, the llfl-ethanesulfonyloxy and 11,8- propanesulfonyloxy derivatives are formed, respectively.

EXAMPLE 2 A (14) -pregnadiene-1 1,8,1 7a,21-tri0l-3,20-dione 11 fl-tosylate 21 -acetate A solution of 50 mg. of A -pregnadiene-11;8,17a,2ltrio1-3,20-dione ZI-acetate in 2 ml. of pyridine and 50 mg. of p-toluene-sulfonyl chloride is allowed to stand at 0 for 18 hours. The mixture is then diluted with water and extracted with chloroform. The chloroform extract is washed with water, dilute acid and again with water, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness in vacuo. Recrystallization of the resulting residue from 95% alcohol gives the pure tosylate.

EXAMPLE 3 A -pregnatriene-1 70:,21 -di0l 3,20 dione 21-acetate A solution of 50 mg. of the mesylate prepared in Example 1 in 4 ml. of pyridine is refluxed for one hour. The steroids are isolated by extraction with chloroform and the resulting material (about 45 mg.) recrystallized from 95% ethanol. The resulting triene (about 16 mg.) melts at about 183-185 (dec.); [111 +l29 (c., 0.42 in chloroform);

M13240 m (6 17,400) shoulder at 275 my (6 3,700) Ami? 3.12, 5.80, 6.05, 6.20;;

Analysis.Calcd. for C I-1 0 (384.45): C, 71.85; H, 7.36. Found: C, 71.63; H, 7.37.

The triene can also be obtained by replacing the pyridine by a solution of sodium acetate in glacial acetic acid. Similarly, if the tosylate of Example 2 is substituted for the mesylate, the same triene is obtained.

The 21-acetate formed in Example 3 can be hydrolyzed by treatment with potassium carbonate in methanol to yield the free Zl-hydroxy derivative, which in turn can be esterified in the usual manner as by treatment with a suitable acid anhydride (e. g., propionic anhydride) or acyl halide (e. g., benzoyl chloride) in an organic base (e. g., pyridine) to yield the corresponding 21-ester derivative.

The invention may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

3 I claim: I. A steroid of the general formula CH2O R :0 I -OH wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and the acyl radical of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid having less than ten carbon atoms.

2. A -pregnatriene-l7a,21-dioI-3,20-dione 21- acetate.

3. A steroid of the general formula Gmo'R (i=0 ---0H 3'80; 1

wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and the acyl radical of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid having less than ten carbon atoms, and R is a. hydrocarbon radical of less than eight carbon atoms.

4. A -pregnadiene-11p,17a,21-triol-3,20-dione 11pmesylate Zl-acetate.

5. A process for preparing a compound of the general formula wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and the acyl radical of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid having less than ten carbon atoms, which comprises heating a steroid of the general formula CHaOR wherein R is as above-defined, and R is a hydrocarbon radical of less than eight carbon atoms, with a base.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the steroid reactant is A -pregnadiene-11;3,17a,21-triol 3,20 dione 11pmesylate 21-acetate.

7. A process for preparing a compound of the general formula CHzOR wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and the acyl radical of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid having less than ten carbon atoms, and R is a hydrocarbon radical of less than eight carbon atoms, which comprises interacting a steroid of the formula CHzOR HO I No references cited. 

